Fire Line Road - James McMurtry

My name is Alice Walker, they never told me why

I’m not named for anybody it’s just a name out of the sky

They thought was pretty, I guess, way back when

I’ll change it some day;

I like to pretend

I’m just a visitor here, like on one of those shows

In a house full of people I don’t hardly know

But we’ll all get to home in a week or so

Back to real life

And I’m pickin' up the carpet in the corner where I crash

I’m too tired to separate the pennies from the trash

And I don’t guess it matters even why Jesus died

I can tell you 'bout sins

We got this duplex up on Fire Line Road

It’s way out from town so the rent’s pretty low

Not much more than a cinder-block cell

Just like the one next door, and the next one as well

And the bus don’t run out here but three times a day

The 7-Eleven, it’s a full mile away

And there’s a car in the yard, mostly rust and dents

We moved here in it but it hadn’t run since

Forget my name, can you forget my face?

Gonna lose myself in some finer place

Finer places where I’ll go

I’ll leave no trace out on Fire Line Road

And there’s a pile of daddy’s quick-picks scattered on the floor

Among the half empty bottles, that chair against the door

In case he comes home drinkin' with lovin' on his mind

I’d never let it happen but that don’t stop him tryin'

My sister weren’t so lucky, he got to her too soon

She never saw it comin' he knew just what to do

To keep her silent, I swear to god I’ll kill him if I can

He said she made him do it — after all, he’s just a man

Forget my name, can you forget my face?

Gonna lose myself in some finer place

Finer places, where I’ll go

And I’ll leave no trace out on Fire Line Road

Now she snorts that crank and stares at the phone

She ain’t big as a minute, just skin on bone

She bites her nails right down to the quick

And they’ve taken her babies and they won’t give 'em back

And I know she loves 'em and god knows she tries

But when you’re that far down you’re just gonna to get high

It’s like eatin' or breathin' to the rest of us

She can’t even feel bad without the stuff

Forget my name, can you forget my face?

Gonna lose myself in some finer place

Finer places where I’ll go

I’ll leave no trace out on Fire Line Road

My name is Alice Walker, they never told me why